On the Beat With Christopher Guanlao of Silversun Pickups: Recording Better Nature

Hi MD. Being a self taught drummer who relies strongly on instinct and muscle memory more so than technical aspects, Better Nature was an album with many struggles and soul searching.

In this day and age I find that human drummers are constantly endangered of losing their jobs to drum machines and programs. Finding my place in this album involved getting out of my comfort zone, trying to figure out the mathematics of the beat, and how it should pertain to the song.

It was hard to take sight of the overall picture when you’re right in the middle of the recording process, but once it’s all said and done—it is just that—a process. When the album is finished and ready to be shared and played live, that’s when the sometimes tedious, yet necessary engineering is set aside and the artistry can be seen. Then, I can find relief in the survival of the human drummer.